Conflicting health messages cause mass confusion, says poll

According to the research, millions of women are affected by opposing theories

16/08/2017 07:00 PM

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CONFUSING: According to the study, women feel bombarded on a daily basis with conflicting health messages, leaving a staggering 81 percent feeling baffled by the information overload

BRITISH WOMEN are in a constant state of confusion when it comes to their health and wellbeing, according to a new study.

Researchers took an in-depth look at how the nation’s women feel about the health messages and advice they receive.

According to the study, women feel bombarded on a daily basis with conflicting health messages, leaving a staggering 81 percent feeling baffled by the information overload.

Whether a glass of wine is bad for you, whether it’s better to eat a low carb or a low fat diet and if expensive anti-ageing creams really work, have emerged among a list of things modern women find the most confusing.

How much water to drink a day, whether you can drink any alcohol when you're pregnant and whether or not to cut out bread completely and avoid red meat are also sources of daily confusion.

Almost two-thirds of women (63 percent) confess they are at their wits end about the right thing to do in regards to their health, wellbeing and body – with 88 percent saying they wish someone would just give it to them straight.

The poll reveals that friends and doctors are the number one go-to advice givers (51 percent) suggesting UK women trust both equally.

Almost half of women (49 percent) say they turn to the Internet for guidance, with 14 percent scrolling through social media for the best advice.

Worryingly, a quarter (26 percent) of women confess that they are not happy in their own skin and would like to look and feel better.

This is perhaps reflected in the fact that two-thirds (66 percent) say they feel pressure to look and feel their best.

The majority of UK females (79 percent) admit they worry about getting it wrong in terms of their health and wellbeing whilst 60 percent say they would like to be able to keep their beauty regimes as straightforward as possible.

A further four in ten (39 percent) of the 1,500 women polled said they are constantly switching from one fad to another in the endless quest for wellbeing.

The research conducted by E45, was commissioned to launch the brand’s new ‘Straight Up Skincare’ campaign, with newly announced brand ambassador, Olympic boxer Nicola Adams OBE.

Kate Sweeney, Category Marketing Manager at E45 said:

“The research shows that UK women feel bombarded with lots of conflicting and, at times, downright confusing pieces of advice and information every day."

Four in ten (40 percent) of those polled say they feel pressured to spend more time and money on their beauty regime to keep up with their friends and colleagues.

Of those polled, one in twenty (6 percent) confess to hanging on every word of celebrities when it comes to advice and a further 9 percent have turned to sources such as Wikipedia as a reliable information source.

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Posted on: 16/08/2017 07:00 PM

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